Connecticut shooting affects all Americans

December 17, 2012

The events that happened at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., are not just ones that affect those in that general area. They are events that affect the lives and opinions of people across the United States.
20-year-old Adam Lanza made his way inside the school on Friday and ended up taking the lives of his mother, a teacher at the school, and 26 others, most of whom were children. He entered the elementary school armed with four weapons and wearing a bulletproof vest. He eventually took his own life.
Initially authorities believed two gunmen were involved and cars were being searched all around the school. As of press time, it isn't clear how many have been shot, but 27 people have died, and the sad fact is that most of them are children. It is possible this number will rise.
The shooting in Connecticut is considered the second worst mass shooting in U.S. History, after the shootings at Virginia Tech in 2007. It occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School, which includes 450 students in kindergarten through fourth grade. The town is 12 miles east of Danbury.
Borger News-Herald readers have made their opinions known about the horrific events that occurred in Connecticut.
Allison Hundley said children should never have to feel or live that horror.
“They are innocent and should have been daydreaming about what Santa was going to bring them for Christmas!” she said. “My prayers are with the families of these babies that were taken too soon and those who are fighting to live a little longer!”
Kristen Armstrong said her heart breaks for the victims of these events and her prayers go out to them.
Sports editor Mikala Reiswig said she is astounded, shocked, and heartbroken.
“I have a five-year-old child, and it is sad that he has to be scared to go to kindergarten, one of the most innocent places he could be,” she said.
Danny Ford said it is time to stop glorifying violence and harm to others.
“We cannot give glory to these people,” he said. “We don't have a gun problem in America. We are angered or outraged at the slightest things. Love your fellow human, it's going to be a rough ride if you think you're in it alone.”
Stacie Lloyd said the incident is absolutely heartbreaking.
“Children should never have to experience this kind of horror and pain and fear,” she said. “Having children in elementary school, I could not imagine sending them to school and them not returning home. What has happened to this world?”
In response to the shooting, Michelle Humphrey posed a simple but powerful question.
“When will we see that we need God's hand of protection over our children, even in schools?” she asked.
Kathy Kenyon said such a tragedy breaks everyone's hearts.
“How do you understand tiny children losing their lives because someone was angry or very disturbed?” she said. “They didn't do anything to this animal. Now guns will be outlawed from law-abiding American that tries to protect what is his or hers. That's not how you take care of it. You get rid of the problem and it's not guns. God bless those babies and their families. Our hearts are breaking for them.”
DeAnn Martin Throckmorton said nobody, especially children, should have to witness this kind of horror.
“My heart is in a million pieces for the children gone and families that lost their loved one in this tragic act of violence,” she said. “Thank God for the brave teachers, police, and all others that did their best to protect the children. God help us!”
Ronna Hopson said such an event can cause a person to lose faith in mankind.
“I just read a post by a friend that when you are told to grab and hold a friend's hand and walk out the door, you should be doing that for recess, not to exit a school following a shooting! So true! Children should not have to fear going to school every day! It's just unimaginable! To quote my dear grandma, God rest her soul, there are some people truly full of the devil! God bless those families!”
Christina Byrd said the events in Connecticut break her heart.
“My daughter is four and in pre-k. It makes me so sick to my stomach to know that there is nowhere you can go in this world where you can feel safe. I was listening to the radio where they did an interview with a six-year-old who said, 'All the doors had to close so we could lock them and we all hid in the corner so the animal wouldn't get us.' Prayers to all the families who lost someone and God bless those babies that have to deal with it the rest of their lives.
Lezlie Cummings Beley said the issue in the whole matter is gun control. However, DeAnne Blackwell disagreed, saying people use such a tragedy to blame the guns and start screaming gun control.
“The gun didn't kill anyone. The PERSON holding the gun made a choice to kill innocent children and adults. We don't blame a car for a drunk driving accident. We can't blame an inanimate object such as a gun. This disturbed individual put the ammunition in the gun, then pulled the trigger,” she said. “The gun didn't go off by itself. If we really want to protect our children-lock the school doors, install metal detectors, keep classroom doors locked, have stricter policies in place for visitors to a school.”